Scientists think that Buruli ulcer — and up to 75 percent of emerging diseases, including the coronavirus — is zoonotic, meaning it jumps from animals to humans. They say zoonotic disease are becoming more common in part because of human encroachment on wild environments. “We’ve provided situations where it can expand rapidly and cause human disease.”In recent years, as attention to the disease has increased funding for research, Dr. Johnson and others have been trying to figure out exactly how Buruli ulcer is transmitted. To test their theory, the scientists are working to reduce the number of mosquitoes on the Mornington Peninsula to see whether cases of Buruli ulcer drop as well. The researchers have also been on the hunt for possum feces, which they say has given them a crucial map of hot spots where the bacteria are present.

Source: New York Times March 31, 2021 04:39 UTC